“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind".

Change is inevitable…. Change is a Process.... Change comes to all of us-whether we prepare for it or not. Our lives are in a constant state of transition. Life is always moving forward; nothing ever remains the same. To move forward, you have to leave the past behind. There is no standing
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God is merciful and calls us to be as well. But what does mercy look like and how can we know when we've gotten it right?

OPEN: I once read the true story of a preacher was organizing an evangelistic outreach using small acts of kindness to demonstrate Christ's love. He phoned several neighborhood grocery stores and Laundromats for permission to do specific services.
On one call, the employee who answered the
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Every church needs to be led. How does someone with the gift of leadership lead the church the way God wants them to? How can leaders avoid hurting God's church? And how can a leader be sure they're leading the church the way they should?

OPEN: I once talked with a friend of mine who told about the new preacher his congregation had hired. In the type of church my friend attends they have “pastors” who are placed in the position of running the church. And my friend was talking about the great respect he had for his
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The gift of "giving" is perhaps closest to God's heart. What is it about this gift that makes it so special, and how can we know if we have this particular gift?

OPEN: One preacher told of the time he found himself in a situation where he truly needed to announce publicly what he was giving to a special church offering. “This wasn’t for the purpose of boastfulness, for I was only giving $25, although, at that time, that was significant to me.
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This is the gift that greases the gears of the church. Without this gift a congregation becomes lifeless and empty. What is this gift, and why is it so important to God's church family.

OPEN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnVuqfXohxc
I’ve been waiting months to use that clip.
It’s clever.
It’s cute.
And whether you realize it or not – it is deeply theological.
Think about it… what did it show?
It showed lot of animals that don’t
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How does the gift of teaching help the church? And does that mean that if we don't have this gift that we don't have to teach?

Little Johnny wasn't getting good marks in school. One day he came up to the teacher’s desk and looked like he wanted to say something.
“Yes Johnny” the teacher said. “Is there something you want?”
Very quietly he said, "I don't want to scare you, but my daddy says
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What does it mean to have the "gift of serving?" How can I recognize if I have this gift and how can I use this kind of gift to glorify God?

I read about a woman who telephoned a friend and asked how she was feeling.
"Terrible," came the reply "my head's splitting and my back and legs are killing me. The house is a mess, and the kids are simply driving me crazy."
The caller said, "Listen, go and lie down, I'll come over right away
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Some scholars call the gifts in Rom 12 "motivational" gifts. What do they mean by that and how does that help us understand the value and purpose of the gift of prophecy?

Have you ever heard of a TV personality from years ago named Merv Griffin?
Back in his heyday Mr. Griffin hosted a TV talk show called "The Merv Griffin Show" where he would have guests who would sit down with him and talk about their lives and the passions in their lives. One of those
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“For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” I Thessalonians 4:7

A Call to Holy Living
I Thessalonians 4:7- says “For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.” God desires that every believer lead a
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By God’s grace we are motivated to do right, to live right.
1- By God’s grace we humble ourselves
2- By God’s grace we honor others
3- By God’s grace we use our gifts

INTRO.- You’ve been graced by God whether you realize it or not!
ILL.- When Billy Graham was driving through a small southern town, he was stopped by a policeman and charged with speeding. Graham admitted his quilt, but was told by the officer that he would have to appear in court. The
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In view of the fact that God is rich in mercy what should we do?
1- Become a living sacrifice
2- Don’t give in to the world
3- Change our thinking

INTRO.- ILL.- After Lee’s surrender, Lincoln spoke to a large crowd from the balcony of the White House. He told them about the policy he had in mind for the South. At the end of his speech, Senator Harlan asked, “What shall we do with the rebels?”
The vindictive crowd
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“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”Romans 12:2

The Change we need and we’re called to change.
St Paul said in Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
We
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A believer's consecration to God & his transformed lifestyle is demonstrated in his exercising his spiritual gifts in & for the body of Christ. The basic idea is that every believer is a living part of the body of Christ & each member has a spiritual fun

ROMANS 12:3-6
A HEALTHY BODY
After World War II, a group of German students volunteered to help rebuild an ENGLISH CATHEDRAL that had been severely damaged by German bombs. As work progressed, they became concerned about a large statue of Jesus, whose arms were
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Pretty soon your attitude will go from cant do anything, to can do everything and it wont be from your doing,
but what God has done on the inside of you first. By the time that you become aware of it on the outside, He will have already wove

Changed, from the inside out!
Romans 12:1-2 MSG.
1-2. So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary lifeyour sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around lifeand place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best
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This message is for all Christians to remind them of their importance in the body of Christ i.e. the local church. Every Christian is placed in the body of Christ as God desires. Each of us should use our talents, our grace gifts, our personalities, and

How Important Each Member Is
Romans 12:3-8
Introduction
• Romans 12:1-2 calls for a total commitment to God.
• To be living sacrifices – this is our spiritual act of worship – this is how we worship God in spirit and in truth that Jesus spoke of.
• Out of
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